Employment

Please check back for information about opportunities in various departments at the Garden. Resumés and applications are only accepted for open positions. Applicants who do not meet the required qualifications will not be considered. Please see how to apply for further information.

Assistant Horticulturist, Model Railroad Garden, Lagoon Garden and Spider IslandRequisition Number: 407Overview: Maintain an area consisting of the Model Railroad Garden, Lagoon Garden, and Spider Island through weeding, watering, deadheading, fertilizing, planting, removing debris, pruning, edging, mowing, mulching, winterizing, removing snow, and maintaining and inventorying tools. Work weekend and holiday duty on a rotational basis during the growing season and winter exhibits to water plants and perform... Read more

Auxiliaries CoordinatorRequisition Number: 410Overview: To serve the operations needs of the Chicago Botanic Garden and to be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the Guild of the Chicago Botanic Garden (the young professional board) and its fundraising events. To provide support and to serve as in integral member of Events & Board Operations team as well the overall development department. The Auxiliaries Coordinator reports to... Read more

Building Engineer 1Requisition Number: 397Overview: To assist the manager of Construction and Maintenance in performing building and infrastructure system maintenance, repair, and construction.

Coordinator, Washington Park Windy City Harvest Youth Farm Requisition Number: 409Overview: Since 2003, the Windy City Harvest Youth Farm has served as a youth development program for urban high school students in and around the city of Chicago. This summer employment opportunity exposes youth to various issues around food systems and leadership through the following: using sustainable growing practices to raise a variety of food crops, selling produce to community residents and other... Read more

Curator, Woody PlantsRequisition Number: 398Overview: Responsible for the acquisition, development, use, research, and interpretation of an internationally renowned collection of woody plants that will establish the standard for excellence.

Development OfficerRequisition Number: 394Overview: The development department at the Chicago Botanic Garden is charged with raising millions of dollars each year for annual support, capital projects, and endowment from individual donors. The Development Officer has the people skills needed to interact with a sophisticated group of donors, provide exceptional customer service and stewardship to existing donors and donor groups, and further the... Read more

Display Gardens Intern A-CRequisition Number: 415Overview: To learn how to properly maintain a public display garden by working with a senior horticulturist and his or her team of staff and volunteers. Attend regular staff meetings and weekly intern meetings with guest speakers to learn about general Chicago Botanic Garden operations.

Executive Vice President & Director of the GardenRequisition Number: 401Overview: The Chicago Botanic Garden opened 44 years ago as a beautiful place to visit. Since then, it has matured into one of the world's great botanic gardens and living museums, known as well for its horticultural displays as its plant conservation science and education programs. More than one million people a year visit the Garden's 27 gardens and 4 natural areas, uniquely situated on 385... Read more

Project BudBurst directorRequisition Number: 403Overview: The Project BudBurst director is responsible for overseeing the implementation and evaluation of the websites for Project BudBurst and the Citizen Science Academy. During the one-year appointment, this individual will lead efforts to explore and test the ability of Project BudBurst to engage audiences and effectively deliver distance learning courses, communicate the work of the Chicago Botanic... Read more

Security OfficerRequisition Number: 371Overview: To serve visitors, members, and staff by maintaining the safety and security of the property and collections of the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Senior Director, Marketing & CommunicationsRequisition Number: 411Overview: The Chicago Botanic Garden opened a little more than 40 years ago as a beautiful place to visit, and it has matured into one of the world's great horticultural display gardens and living museums. In 2016, more than one million people have visited the Garden's 27 gardens and four natural areas, uniquely situated on 385 acres on and around nine islands. The permanent plant collection... Read more

Windy City Harvest Apprenticeship InstructorRequisition Number: 405Overview: Join a team of enthusiastic, dedicated, and mission-oriented agriculturists and job trainers! Windy City Harvest, a sustainable, urban agricultural jobs-training program, is seeking an experienced instructor. Our program uses a custom curriculum in four-season sustainable vegetable production. Hands-on activities in hoophouse, greenhouse, aquaponics, and raised-bed farming and a 14-week... Read more

Seasonal

Display Gardens Intern A-CRequisition Number: 415Overview: To learn how to properly maintain a public display garden by working with a senior horticulturist and his or her team of staff and volunteers. Attend regular staff meetings and weekly intern meetings with guest speakers to learn about general Chicago Botanic Garden operations.

Groundskeeper, SeasonalRequisition Number: 299Overview: The seasonal groundskeeper performs general landscaping and grounds maintenance, consisting primarily of manual labor under the direction of full-time horticulture staff, working independently or with a crew. Assist with special projects such as event preparation and support. There may be occasional evening, weekend, and holiday hours. Work and area assignments may change during the season as... Read more

Grower, Windy City Harvest Youth Farm Lake CountyRequisition Number: 406Overview: Join a team of enthusiastic, dedicated, and mission-oriented horticulturists and youth workers to teach teens how to grow, market, and cook with sustainably produced produce. We are seeking a grower for the one-acre in-ground production site on the border of Waukegan and Lake County in the Greenbelt Forest Preserve, part of the Lake County Forest Preserve District. The Grower will work with the... Read more

Kris S. Jarantoski InternRequisition Number: 414Overview: To gain broad-based experience with a focus on horticulture in public garden operations to develop the skills required to become a future botanic garden leader. Specific duties will change throughout the internship as the intern rotates through different Garden departments. Assigned areas may include nursery and greenhouse plant production, plant health care, horticulture maintenance and... Read more

Membership Sales & Visitor Experience AssociateRequisition Number: 365Overview: To support all aspects of Membership Sales & Visitor Experience on-site, including sales of memberships, membership upgrades, donations, visitor event and program tickets, registrations for various School of the Botanic Garden programs, and Garden information.

Production Greenhouse & Nursery InternRequisition Number: 412Overview: Learn about plant production by rotating through and working with the growers in the four divisions of the Plant Production Department. These divisions include nursery, indoor floriculture, outdoor floriculture, and plant propagation. Attend regular staff meetings and weekly intern meetings with guest speakers during the summer to learn about general Chicago Botanic Garden operations.

Propagation InternRequisition Number: 413Overview: To learn about and gain experience in propagating plants by assisting with the propagation of annuals, perennials, native plants, tropical plants, and floriculture crops grown in the production greenhouses and nursery. Attend regular staff meetings and weekly intern meetings with guest speakers during the summer to learn about general Chicago Botanic Garden operations.

Seasonal Security Officer A-GRequisition Number: 363Overview: Would you like to walk around the Chicago Botanic Garden? Do you like riding in a golf cart? Do you enjoy helping people? Maybe a seasonal position in the Security Department is right for you. As a security officer, you would have a variety of duties including patrolling, enforcing Garden rules, and assisting visitors. Excellent customer service skills are required.

Urban Garden Lab Instructor Requisition Number: 404Overview: Coordinate and teach a spring (ten-week, after-school/Saturdays), summer (seven-week), and fall (ten-week, after-school/Saturdays), after-school program (15 students ages 15–18) at After School Matters' downtown headquarters. The Urban Garden Lab instructor will guide youth in their exploration of the environmental and community benefits to rooftop gardening and help them discover the... Read more

Internship

Display Gardens Intern A-CRequisition Number: 415Overview: To learn how to properly maintain a public display garden by working with a senior horticulturist and his or her team of staff and volunteers. Attend regular staff meetings and weekly intern meetings with guest speakers to learn about general Chicago Botanic Garden operations.

Kris S. Jarantoski InternRequisition Number: 414Overview: To gain broad-based experience with a focus on horticulture in public garden operations to develop the skills required to become a future botanic garden leader. Specific duties will change throughout the internship as the intern rotates through different Garden departments. Assigned areas may include nursery and greenhouse plant production, plant health care, horticulture maintenance and... Read more

Production Greenhouse & Nursery InternRequisition Number: 412Overview: Learn about plant production by rotating through and working with the growers in the four divisions of the Plant Production Department. These divisions include nursery, indoor floriculture, outdoor floriculture, and plant propagation. Attend regular staff meetings and weekly intern meetings with guest speakers during the summer to learn about general Chicago Botanic Garden operations.

Propagation InternRequisition Number: 413Overview: To learn about and gain experience in propagating plants by assisting with the propagation of annuals, perennials, native plants, tropical plants, and floriculture crops grown in the production greenhouses and nursery. Attend regular staff meetings and weekly intern meetings with guest speakers during the summer to learn about general Chicago Botanic Garden operations.

The Chicago Botanic Garden welcomes veterans to our workforce. At the Garden, where we are a leading provider of horticultural therapy services for veterans, we value the dedication of our nation's service members.

We believe that veterans add a unique perspective and bring valuable experience to the workforce. As part of our commitment to veterans, the Garden has joined the state of Illinois and other leading Illinois employers in the Illinois Hires Heroes Consortium (IHHC). Consortium members agree to implement programs to recruit, train, and retain veterans; we will list jobs on sites including Hero2Hired (H2H), a site aimed at helping veterans find jobs. We have completed training to help us understand military skills and how that experience can be applied to our work at the Garden.

We encourage veterans to apply for internships, as well as full- and part-time employment.